Russian tennis player Diana Shnaider becomes the latest player to share her experience of playing tennis in college and the stereotypes attached to it. Diana also revealed how she was pleasantly surprised by the level of tennis she played in college, which shaped her to become a better player.
Following Lulu Sun’s remarks on this topic, Shnaider is the latest athlete to highlight the difference in perception of college tennis between Europe and America. In Europe, it is believed that entering college means the player cannot become a professional in tennis. However, in America, one can do both things without anyone’s disapproval.
Shanider revealed that coming from Europe made her believe the same, but she went to college as a backup plan, mainly due to her mother’s insistence.
“I really wanted to go pro, but it was just very hard situation. I didn’t have a coach and you have a base, so I just need some a backup plan to kind of get myself to where I’m going to be secure anyway. My mom wanted me to go to college. She was wanting me to go to study and everything,” said Shnaider while speaking on the WTA Insider podcast.
The Russian further stated that studying and practicing simultaneously did make her life difficult. However, it also helped her learn time management better.
“When I saw people, how they support athletes, they think that we are gods there. People in the airport will see you in a college uniform and they’ll to be like, ‘Go Pack!’ It was just so unusual for me,” she added.
Shnaider enrolled at the North Carolina State University and became a part of the North Carolina State Wolfpack. However, after her first year, she left the college to become a professional tennis player. It was because her coaches helped her become a better athlete for a professional career and not just a college career.
Currently ranked 16th in the world, Shnaider has proved how entering college does not limit one’s chances of having a successful professional career. The 20-year-old has already started to make significant strides in professional tennis and achieved her best grand slam performance this year at the US Open when she reached the round of 16.
